Tampa Bay Rays acquire Paul Gervase from the New York Mets
The Rays sent to Tyler Zuber to New York to complete the deal.
The Tampa Bay Rays have traded Tyler Zuber to the New York Mets in exchange for minor league pitcher, Paul Gervase.
Gervase, an imposing 6’10” 24-year old, went 3-2 with a 3.25 ERA (27.2IP, 10ER), 46 strikeouts, 17 walks and five saves over 22 appearances for Double-A Binghamton this season. In 2023, he was named a South Atlantic League postseason All-Star and Mets Organizational All-Star by MLB.com after going 4-2 with a 2.05 ERA (57.0IP, 13ER), 96 strikeouts and 42 walks across 38 appearances between Binghamton (7 games) and Class-A Brooklyn (31 games). He led the South Atlantic League (min. 45.0 IP) in earned run average (1.72), hits per 9.0 innings pitched (4.60) and strikeouts per 9.0 innings pitched (14.55).
In his first professional season in 2022, the right-hander posted a 1-1 record and 5.56 ERA (11.1IP, 7ER) over eight appearances between Class-A St. Lucie and the FCL Mets. Gervase, who stands at 6-foot-10 and weighs 230 pounds, was selected by the Mets in the 12th round of the 2022 First-Year Player Draft out of Louisiana State University. He served as the Tigers closer as a redshirt junior in 2022, going 4-1 with a 1.85 ERA (39.0IP, 8ER), 52 strikeouts, 15 walks and six saves over 29 appearances.
Since the start of the 2023 season, Gervase has been one of the hardest to hit pitchers pitchers in all of minor league baseball and has posted elite strikeout numbers. For all minor league pitchers with at least 80 innings pitched since the start of the 2023 season, Gervase has the 4th highest K% and the lowest opponent average against him. Due to his height, his mid 90’s fastball ramps up on hitters even more quickly, giving it the effect of an upper 90’s pitch. Command is what holds Gervase back from becoming a more premier pitching prospect. Entering play on Wednesday, Gervase has a 14.0 BB% in 27 2⁄3 innings pitched at Double-A.
Zuber, 29, was selected to the Rays major league roster on July 18 and made two appearances for Tampa Bay, allowing one run over 3.1 innings. After signing a minor league contract with the Rays on May 14, he went 3-0 with a 2.49 ERA (21.1IP, 6ER) and four saves in 18 appearances with Triple-A Durham. Prior to signing with the Rays, Zuber made six appearances with the Long Island Ducks in the independent Atlantic League, posting a 1.59 ERA (5.2IP, 1ER).